ABSTRACT

This chapter explains the effect of Marian virginity and maternal strength on masculine identity. It examines perceptions of Marian purity and the early modern cultural preoccupation with idealized virginity through the 'chaste' characters of Hamlet's Ophelia, Othello's Desdemona, and King Lear' Cordelia. The chapter explores early modern views of maternal influence, and return to Othello and Hamlet to examine the enduring desire for Marian compassion. It is with the myth of the Virgin Mary's extraordinary nature in mind that the chapter seeks to measure how early modern cultural views of the Virgin Mary, maternity, and virginity not only shape ideals of femininity, but also speak to the role of the Marian and feminine in the construction of masculine and religious identity. The chapter demonstrates, Shakespeare is carefully attuned to both cultural and religious attitudes about female chastity and maternal influence, and he often draws on Mary's symbolic capital to explore these issues.